SAN CLEMENTE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Glaukos Corporation (NYSE: GKOS), an ophthalmic medical technology company focused on the development and commercialization of breakthrough products and procedures designed to transform the treatment of glaucoma, today announced that L. Jay Katz, MD, FACS, has joined the company as Chief Medical Officer.
Dr. Katz is currently a practicing ophthalmologist, the Director of Glaucoma Service at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia and a Professor of Ophthalmology at Jefferson Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. In addition, he has authored numerous books on ophthalmology, published more than 200 articles in ophthalmic journals and is on the editorial board for Journal of Glaucoma, Survey of Ophthalmology, Graefe’s Archives of Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology and The Open Ophthalmology Journal. After receiving his MD degree from Yale University Medical School in 1979, Dr. Katz completed an internship in internal medicine at the University of Virginia, a residency in ophthalmology at Yale and a fellowship in glaucoma at Wills Eye Hospital.
Dr. Katz is actively involved in numerous ophthalmic professional organizations and glaucoma foundations. He is a former member of the board and past treasurer of the American Glaucoma Society, a diplomate and associate examiner for the American Board of Ophthalmology and a fellow, member-at-large and past president of the Philadelphia Metro chapter of the American College of Surgeons.
“We are delighted and honored to welcome Dr. Katz to our senior leadership team,” said Thomas Burns, Glaukos President and Chief Executive Officer. “As evidenced by his many professional accomplishments and contributions to the practice of medicine, Dr. Katz is among the world’s foremost experts on glaucoma. We are confident that he will play an integral role in helping Glaukos continue to pioneer the worldwide development and expansion of Micro-Invasive Glaucoma Surgery, or MIGS.”
A former medical monitor for various Glaukos clinical trials, Dr. Katz has also been an investigator in landmark glaucoma trials, including the Advanced Glaucoma Intervention Study (AGIS) and Collaborative Initial Glaucoma Treatment Study (CIGTS). In his role as Glaukos Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Katz’s responsibilities will include providing input and counsel on product development, clinical trial designs and surgeon training; overseeing global post-market medical safety programs; and collaborating with academic institutions, professional societies, cooperative groups and other strategic and scientific entities focused on the understanding and advancement of glaucoma patient care.
“Glaucoma is an insidious, asymptomatic disease that causes vision loss in millions of people worldwide,” said Dr. Katz. “I have long admired and appreciated the innovative work Glaukos is undertaking to provide new, viable treatment options for glaucoma patients and the surgeons who care for them. I look forward to beginning the next phase of my career as part of the Glaukos organization as it continues to build MIGS awareness and adoption across the clinical community while also pursuing a range of promising next-generation therapies.“
In this new role, Dr. Katz will initially be employed by Glaukos on a part-time basis, while maintaining his ophthalmology practice in Philadelphia and involvement with clinical research and medical education.
Glaukos (www.glaukos.com) is an ophthalmic medical technology company focused on the development and commercialization of breakthrough products and procedures designed to transform the treatment of glaucoma, one of the world’s leading causes of blindness. The company pioneered Micro-Invasive Glaucoma Surgery, or MIGS, to revolutionize the traditional glaucoma treatment and management paradigm. Glaukos launched the iStent®, its first MIGS device, in the United States in July 2012 and is leveraging its platform technology to build a comprehensive and proprietary portfolio of micro-scale injectable therapies designed to address the complete range of glaucoma disease states and progression. The company believes the iStent, measuring 1.0 mm long and 0.33 mm wide, is the smallest medical device ever approved by the FDA.
All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that we expect, believe or anticipate will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Although we believe that we have a reasonable basis for forward-looking statements contained herein, we caution you that they are based on current expectations about future events affecting us and are subject to risks, uncertainties and factors relating to our operations and business environment, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control, that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements in this press release. These potential risks and uncertainties include, without limitations, our ability to continue to pioneer the worldwide development and expansion of MIGs and products for the treatment of glaucoma. These risks, uncertainties and factors are described in detail under the caption “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2016 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission are available in the Investor Section of our website at www.glaukos.com or at www.sec.gov. In addition, information about the risks and benefits of our products is available on our website at www.glaukos.com. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements in this press release, which speak only as of the date hereof. We do not undertake any obligation to update, amend or clarify these forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities law.

Diopsys, Inc. helps bring ERG testing out of the research lab and into clinical practice with a user- and patient-friendly sensor that produces reliable data. The latest advancement in electrode technology, the patented Diopsys® ERG Lid Sensor has transformed the eye care professional’s ability to perform reliable electroretinography (ERG) vision tests in their offices. The innovative sensor has a low-profile design which fits comfortably below the patient’s eye, and provides equivalent, and in some cases better results than previous electrodes.[1]
Previously available sensors can make it difficult for eye care professionals to perform accurate ERG tests in their offices and usually involve a contact lens or wire being placed across the eye, which increases the potential for damage to the cornea. These invasive electrodes often require pre-application numbing eye drops and post-sterilization between patients. Not only is this inconvenient to the clinician and uncomfortable for the patient, it can lead to compliance issues and poor results due to the excessive blinking caused by the electrode touching the eye.
In some instances, the problems caused by invasive sensors have led to the use of generic skin electrodes, often designed for electromyography (EMG) or electrocardiography (EKG). The large size of these sensors often results in contact with facial muscles, which can produce inaccurate results. The Diopsys® ERG Lid Sensor was specifically designed for ERG testing to address the flaws of other electrodes.
“The fact that we now have an ERG electrode that our patients are happy with, our technicians are happy with, and that provides excellent ERG results allows us to get information about the retina that we couldn’t have before. The Diopsys lid sensor technology certainly revolutionized our ability to detect disease earlier and monitor treatment and disease progression with ERG testing,” said Mitchell Jackson, MD, Founder and CEO of Jacksoneye.
The patented Diopsys® ERG Lid Sensor underwent extensive development and design testing with leaders in the eye care field, including New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, Wills Eye Hospital, and Salus University. Research presented at the 2016 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) meeting showed that the Diopsys® ERG Lid Sensor produces more repeatable amplitude results, and equivalent latency results compared to the older DTL and Ag/AgCl cup electrodes.[1] Additional research using this advanced lid sensor technology showed the test-retest repeatability of Diopsys® ERG and Diopsys® ffERG vision tests ranged between good and excellent for all tested parameters.[2]
For more information on Diopsys® ERG vision testing, please visit http://www.diopsys.com/erg.
About Diopsys
Diopsys, Inc. (http://www.diopsys.com) is the leader in providing ophthalmologists and optometrists with objective, functional information to aid in the early detection of vision disorders and enhance patient management through ERG and VEP vision testing. Eye care providers can perform these objective, functional tests using the Diopsys® NOVA cart system, or the Diopsys® ARGOS™ tabletop system. The company understands the important role of early medical intervention for correctable vision problems, which can lead to an improved quality of life. Early detection means better patient outcomes.
1. Shengelia A. et al. Evaluation of pattern ERG responses using various electrodes. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science September 2016, Vol.57, 3943.
2. Resende A. et al. Repeatability of Steady-State Pattern Electroretinogram and Full-Field Electroretinogram using a novel office-based testing platform in normal subjects. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science September 2016, Vol.57, 3949.

3D printing is a method of manufacturing in which materials, such as plastic or metal, are deposited onto one another in layers to produce a three dimensional object, such as a pair of eye glasses or other 3D objects. This process contrasts with traditional ink-based printers which produce a two dimensional object (ink on paper). To date, 3D printing has primarily been used in engineering to create engineering prototypes. However, recent advances in printing materials have now enabled 3D printers to make objects that are comparable with traditionally manufactured items. In contrast with conventional printers, 3D printing has the potential to enable mass customisation of goods on a large scale and has relevance in medicine including ophthalmology. 3D printing has already been proved viable in several medical applications including the manufacture of eyeglasses, custom prosthetic devices and dental implants. In this review, we discuss the potential for 3D printing to revolutionise manufacturing in the same way as the printing press revolutionised conventional printing. The applications and limitations of 3D printing are discussed; the production process is demonstrated by producing a set of eyeglass frames from 3D blueprints.